April 30, 1947 – June 27, 2026
William Ernest Dawe passed from this earthly realm on Saturday, the 27th of June, 2026, at the Veterans Community Living Center at Rifle after an extended series of health related complications. He was born in Niagara Falls, New York, on April 30, 1947, and is survived by his son, William Dawe II of Drake, Colorado, his granddaughter, Valerie Palmer of Fort Collins, Colorado, and his sister, Karyl Lewis of Harrisonburg, Virginia, as well as numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. He served honorably in the Army and was wounded in an ambush while patrolling the perimeter of a military installation during the Vietnam War. He later served stateside after recovering from his injuries at Walter Reed.
“Big Bill,” as he was known by his friends, left New York on a bicycle and rode to Chicago where he met and married his former wife. Together they toured the western United States and fell in love with Colorado. After he graduated from Southern Illinois University with a master’s degree in fine arts, they settled in Carbondale, where he pursued his life’s love of blacksmithing. He studied and worked alongside many of the local blacksmiths including the late Francis Whitaker of Aspen, a designated National Treasure. Together, he and the Carbondale contingent of blacksmiths all rode the wave of the resurgence of the ancient art of blacksmithing into present times. In addition to his black iron creations, Bill also taught and fostered many aspiring artist blacksmiths over the length of his decades-long career.
He took many trips to Utah and Colorado’s high country with the Hi Country 4 Wheelers in his Jeep, “Over Easy.” He also loved to ride his yellow motorcycle and once toured the U.S. with his son on their bikes. Locally he enjoyed soaking in the Hot Springs Pool and rehydrating at the Glenwood Canyon Brewpub.
He loved living at the Veterans Community Living Center at Rifle along with the many Vietnam Veterans there and felt that, at last, they could speak among themselves of the memories from that time in their lives. He died peacefully of natural causes. May he forever rest in peace. A celebration of his life is planned at a future date yet to be determined.